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UK to disown child refugees

Ministers quietly announce that they will stop lone child migrants entering the UK.

Last Wednesday it was revealed that the UK will no longer be taking in 3000 lone child migrants and instead will only be taking in 350. Former prime minister, David Cameron, accepted the Dubs amendment to settle more child refugees. The plan has cause outcry from MP’s, The Archbishop of Canterbury and celebrities.

The BBC reported that Home Secretary Amber Rudd said this was because ministers feared it was encouraging people traffickers. Ms Rudd has said: “I am clear that when working with my French counterparts they do not want us to indefinitely continue to accept children under the Dubs amendment because they specify, and I agree with them, that it acts as a draw. It acts as a pull. It encourages the people traffickers.”

Lord Dubs, whom the amendment is named after spoke at the House of Lords saying “It wasn’t long ago that I remember that the prime minister when she was home secretary told me the government was prepared to accept the amendment. “It was on the same day that the then immigration minister said to me that the government would accept the letter and the spirit of that amendment.

Celebrities and MP’s took to twitter to express their devastation over the closing down of the Dubs amendment

How can gov't put this out in the morning and turn its back on unaccompanied children from the region in the afternoon is just too brutal. https://t.co/8ifUauFEAG

Lord Dub’s organised a political coup in September 2016, as a child refugee himself Lord Dub’s condemned the government for not promising to take in lone child refugees. As well as not taking in children, the UK government have also released news that they will not be taking in any disabled child refugees as they “cannot keep up with their needs.” The Independent had found out that the Home Office have been rejecting applications from disabled refugees since the beginning of January. Speaking to The Independent, Shantha Barriga, director of Human Rights Watch’s disability rights division, said “It’s an indefensible decision and blatant discrimination. The UK is not simply lacking ‘suitable accommodation’ in this case, but seems to be lacking political will.”